Chapter 744: The Illusory Dawn 

Viserys's words left Rhaenys stunned. She had thought the White Walkers were no longer a threat, but Viserys saw it differently.

He possessed eyes that were nearly god-like, peering into a future shrouded in darkness. Though he saw nothing, it was this very absence that filled him with dread.

So much so that he couldn't help but move his wife and children to the rear, fearing some unforeseen calamity.

"What can be done?"

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Rhaenys couldn't help but ask after hearing Viserys's words.

She had always wanted to ease the burden on Viserys's shoulders, to be of some assistance to him.

Viserys wasn't much older than Rhaenys, but due to his experiences spanning two lifetimes, he was far more mature. While Rhaenys was still in her playful years, she often saw the light in Viserys's chamber burning late into the night.

He had to shoulder the responsibilities of family, duty, and vengeance from the age of eight. Standing at the forefront in a world full of ravenous wolves, every gaze directed at him was filled with naked greed. Everyone saw him as a delectable morsel, ready to devour him whole.

Yet Viserys navigated through these treacherous waters, gradually growing stronger while leading his family and fulfilling his mission of vengeance. Rhaenys and Daenerys had always been shielded by him, never once feeling the touch of danger.

From that time on, Rhaenys had wanted to share some of his burdens. Now, the once-fragile girl had grown up. She was a Dragonrider, capable of donning armor and riding dragons into battle, holding her own.

The young man with silver hair, crowned in Valyrian steel, remained silent upon hearing her words. Rhaenys looked at his figure, so close yet so far, and suddenly spoke.

"Viserys, no matter what, I will always be by your side."

Viserys paused for a moment upon hearing her words, then lifted his head to meet her unwavering gaze. Her eyes were filled with resolve, staring intently back at him.

Once, Rhaenys could hardly meet his eyes, but now her gaze was steadfast.

"We are family!"

With that, she let go of the reins and moved beside Viserys, opening her arms to embrace him gently, as if they had practiced this a thousand times before.

Viserys's body stiffened for a moment but then relaxed, exhaling softly as if releasing some inner restraint.

He did not resist Rhaenys's embrace. Instead, he opened his arms and held her tightly in return.

Viserys tightened his embrace, as if he wished to meld Rhaenys into his very being, causing her to let out a soft whimper.

"Yes," he murmured, his voice a low rumble, echoing her earlier words, "We are family."

Rhaenys had felt a slight discomfort from the strength of Viserys's arms, but upon hearing his words, her lips twitched upwards in a place he couldn't see. She tried to maintain her composure but ultimately couldn't help but burst into a smile.

Her arms around Viserys tightened, pulling him even closer.

"No matter what difficulties the future holds, we'll face them together," she assured him. "I will always be by your side, even if we must fight to the last moment."

Their eyes met, and in that moment, Rhaenys closed her eyes. Viserys lowered his head and gently kissed her soft lips. Her scent filled his nostrils, and he felt her body tremble slightly before she tightened her embrace even more.

On the grassy knoll, the young couple held each other, their warhorses also coming together, their large eyes meeting before nuzzling each other affectionately.

"Daenerys," a voice called from the royal caravan below the hill, where the Unsullied were escorting on both sides, their spears and shields at the ready, their faces stern. "Everyone says you'll eventually marry His Grace. Is it true?"

Inside a carriage draped in luxurious fabrics, Missandei and Daenerys, two inseparable friends, were whispering to each other. The girl from Naath seemed to have thought of something and curiously took the initiative to ask.

"Absolutely not!" Daenerys retorted, her silver hair shimmering. Among friends, there were no taboos, and Missandei was also somewhat curious. Her question, however, made Daenerys blush slightly.

In Westeros, girls of their age were no longer naive. Many, like Daenerys, were already married soon after their first menstruation, and some even had children a few years later.

"Impossible!"

"They're all talking nonsense!" Daenerys's face flushed a shade of crimson. She had heard the old maids in the Red Keep whisper about her purer lineage, her silver hair and purple eyes making her more suitable than the princess. Since then, she had harbored a faint hope. After all, what young girl hasn't fantasized about her wedding day? Yet Daenerys's face remained flushed as she stubbornly retorted.

Suddenly, she remembered something. The three girls had planned to play a card game, and Rhaenys was nowhere to be found. "Where has Rhaenys gone?" Her cheeks still flushed, Daenerys found an excuse to leave the carriage. "Missandei, wait here. I'll go find her."

"Eh?" Before Missandei could react, Daenerys had already leapt from the carriage. Mounting her pony, she set off to find Rhaenys. As a Targaryen princess, she didn't find riding a horse any more challenging than riding a dragon.

However, as Daenerys rode her pony up the hill, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, she saw a scene in the distance that made her pull on the reins and pause.

Meanwhile, at the ends of the world, one in the south and one in the north. Snowflakes filled the sky, and the ground and heavens were blanketed in white. Benjen Stark had learned from Lyanna that this uncharted land was called the White Wastes. It connected to the Lands of Always Winter in Westeros, located north of the Shivering Sea. It was the end of all maps, a place where no one could reach the end, a vast expanse of desolation and silence.

An endless army of the dead marched in silence. Benjen and Lyanna were among them. Above, an ice dragon roared, shaking the entire icy plain before flying off into the distance.

On the other side, in the unbearably hot Summer Sea, an imperial fleet bearing the banners of three fire-breathing dragons and the golden kraken of House Greyjoy sailed eastward. Asha Greyjoy, the fleet's commander, stood at a vantage point on the ship, looking through a Myrish lens at the horizon. Her breath was slightly hurried, and her heart surged with emotion.